Many of my clients have asked me whether or not to eat before training, while others have decided not to for reasons usually pertaining to a lack of time. The latter group also experience the repercussions of having no fuel for their session; so I wanted to take some time to write down my thoughts and knowledge for all to peruse and use as they see fit.
Like all things in Health and Fitness there is no right or wrong answer here. What you eat and when you eat it will depend on what your Body needs and, most importantly, your specific Fitness goals. It's critical to listen to your Body; play around with your pre- and post- exercise foods and their quantities until you feel strong and adequately fuelled throughout your workout.
General
The most critical thing to do before training is ensure that the metabolism is up and going so that your body can get the most out of the workout. This means that if you train in the morning you should eat at least a light breakfast before going to the gym or heading out for a run. For those who train after work or in the evening, if it's been more than four (4) hours since your last meal, anything from a light snack to a full meal may be necessary depending on what you'd like to accomplish during the session.
Weight Loss - Cardio
For people trying to loss significant weight, cardio training should be the primary method of dropping kilos/pounds fast. If you have a lot of fat reserves and weight to loss it's less important that you eat before exercise unless you plan to do over an hour of training. Some fast-burning sugars, such as those found in fruit, is sufficient to kickstart the metabolism and power through the workout (e.g. a Banana/Apple). Plan to eat a nice balanced meal of lean protein, veggies and smart complex carbohydrates anywhere from thirty (30) minutes to one (1) hour after training to refuel and recover. Endurance cardio, such as running or biking more than an hour will require more substantial nutrition as discussed below.
Muscle Gain/Bulking - Lifting
If a client is going to crash on me they do it about ten (10) minutes into a lifting session. When I ask if they ate before the session the answer is always 'No.' Let me be clear, if your goal is to bulk you need to eat a phenomenal amount of food; before and after workouts, and pretty much every other time you're breathing. The issue here is hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar. The muscles require a lot of sugar to lift weight and without the proper pre-workout fuel the muscles very quickly take all the available sugar out of the blood and then it's night-night time. Some people, like myself, get hypoglycaemia very easily and need to be particularly careful. In this case a full balanced meal is required about one (1) hour before the session. Additionally, it is a good idea to have fast recovery food with you such as almonds, fruit and/or high protein drinks in case you experience a drop during the workout. Staying away from caffeine prior to exercise is also a good idea since it causes blood sugar levels to become unstable.
The function of each food group is critical in establishing a stable blood sugar level, which will keep you powered-up and strong throughout your workout:
- Complex Carbohydrates (Oatmeal, Whole Grain Bread, Kumara, Potato): These are big chains of simple sugars which take a long time to break down so you'll have a constant supply of sugar for your muscles over a long period of time as the food is broken down during digestion.
- Fruit/Veggies (Banana, Apple, Broccoli, Cauliflower): High in simple sugars as well as fibre, these foods will also ensure that a steady stream of sugar seeps into the bloodstream. Particularly the fibre delays the breakdown during digestion.
- Fat (Peanut Butter, Almonds/Nuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Avocado, Eggs): Having some type of fat is critical for a lifting session because they are the most effective in stabilising blood sugar. Again, this works because fat, like fibre and long chains of carbs, take a long time for the body to breakdown. Fat, however, has the added benefit of being the most high-energy compound out of the three (3) main nutritional components (protein, carb, fat). Just be aware that high-energy also means high calories, so a little fat goes a long way!
- Lean Protein (Chicken, Fish, Tofu, Greek Yogurt, Eggs): Protein metabolism also takes time, but the Body mostly needs it to repair the muscles you shred while lifting. I know that sounds a bit painful, but getting stronger and building muscle literally requires tearing it by repetitious lifting then allowing it to heal through stretching, adequate rest, and most importantly, EATING PROPERLY.
Hope you found this helpful, and feel free to sing out if you'd like help figuring out what may be right for your Body and your workouts.
